Have you ever known someone who had a bad reaction to a prescription drug? Although pharmaceutical companies test new
drugs on a large number of people to make sure the drug works the way it is supposed to, often a small percentage of
people respond differently to the drug. A person's genetics plays a large role in determining his or her response to a
given drug.
Our genes are made up of hundreds to millions of nucleotides of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid),
the genetic code. If just a…
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BioMed_p005

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Time Required

Very Long (1+ months)

Prerequisites

Basic understanding of what genes, DNA, and proteins are.

Material Availability

After 23andMe receives your sample, your results should be ready in 6-8 weeks. Alternatively, you can do
this science project using a readily available free demo account on 23andMe.

When you take medicine, it needs to dissolve in order to be passed into your bloodstream to have an effect. On the other hand, the drug needs to be packed into a small, dense pill to make it easier to swallow. How does the delivery method of a drug change how quickly it enters the bloodstream? Compare different brands of a drug to find out which brands dissolve the quickest. Does the pH of the stomach (which is usually between 1 and 2) matter? Compare coated to uncoated pills: does the coating…
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HumBio_p002

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

Material Availability

Readily available

Cost

Low ($20 - $50)

Safety

Adult supervision is required. Do not consume any of the medicines you test.

In a survey conducted from 2007 to 2010, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about 49% of people in the United States had taken at least one prescription drug during the past month, and about 22% of people had taken three or more prescription drugs. People are prescribed drugs all the time, but prescriptions can be dangerous because people can have different responses to drugs. These responses largely have to do with genetic mutations. Why are some genetic…
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Have you ever wondered where acne comes from and how you can treat it? One major cause of acne is the colonization and infection of clogged pores with bacteria. In this science project, you'll test different acne medications and treatments to determine their effectiveness at killing bacteria.
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MicroBio_p019

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Time Required

Long (2-4 weeks)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

This science project requires access to some laboratory equipment, such as a 37°C incubator, as well as some specialty reagents, which can be ordered online. See the Materials and Equipment list for more details.

Cost

High ($100 - $150)

Safety

This science project involves the use of the bacterium E. coli. Standard microbiology and bacterial safety guidelines should be followed, see the [# ProjectGuide Name="Advanced.MicroorganismsSafetyGuide" Value="HtmlAnchor" HtmlShortTitle="true" #] for more details. To maintain a sterile environment, you will be working near a lighted Bunsen burner. Keep all flammables, including hair and clothing, away from the flame.

Have you ever wondered how antibiotics and other medicines are able to stop dangerous infections? How do such medications kill microorganisms without in general harming the person the microorganisms are infecting? Because many different types of microorganisms can infect us, we have had to develop an amazing number of ways to deal with these harmful microbes. Fungal infections can be particularly dangerous, but we have developed many different antifungal medications that can usually deal with…
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BioMed_p012

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

Basic understanding of what fungus, dilutions, and molecular pathways are.

Material Availability

Readily available

Cost

Average ($50 - $100)

Safety

Wear gloves and have an adult help you when you handle and work with the antifungal medications. Antifungal medications can be damaging to your skin if they are not used properly.

Antibiotics work by destabilizing the metabolism or cellular structure of bacteria, preventing growth, and causing bacteria to die. Some strains of bacteria have mutated and found a way to resist the actions of antibiotics. These are called resistant strains because they resist the actions of available antibiotic treatments. There are many different types of antibiotics that are continually being developed to combat new strains of resistant bacteria. Some antibiotics work better on different…
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MicroBio_p021

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Time Required

Long (2-4 weeks)

Prerequisites

This project requires access to bacteria and antibiotics in a laboratory setting. A basic knowledge of how to work with bacteria is needed to complete this science fair project. Consult the [# ProjectGuide Name="Advanced.MicrobiologyTechniquesampTroubleshooting" Value="HtmlAnchor" HtmlText="Microbiology Techniques and Troubleshooting" #] guide for information on how to conduct microbiology experiments.

Material Availability

Specialty items, like bacteria and the media to grow them on, can be ordered from [# ProjectGuide Name="Advanced.ApprovedSuppliers" Value="HtmlAnchor" HtmlText="online vendors" #] such as [# Link Name="Advanced.ApprovedSuppliers.2" Value="HtmlAnchor" HtmlText="Carolina Biological Supply Company" #].

Scientists recently found that some small drugs can stop infection by the deadly Ebola virus in
its tracks. Lab researchers found that these drugs bind to a protein that the Ebola virus uses to enter
our cells, and this is how infection is prevented. However, this also means that the bound protein no
longer functions in our cells. How might these drugs accidentally disrupt important biological processes
in our bodies? What other proteins might these drugs bind to? In this science project,…
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Remember going to the doctor and getting vaccine shots? It is no fun getting poked with a needle, but fortunately, a vaccine gives you protection against a serious illness for years to come. But what about the flu vaccine? How come there is a new one every year? This science fair project will show you why.
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Genom_p003

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

Excellent computer skills. Basic understanding of immunology and protein sequences or willingness to learn about these topics.

Unlocking the three-dimensional structure of a protein is crucial to help scientists understand how it functions in our bodies and how it can cause devastating diseases if it becomes disrupted or interacts in the wrong way. However, figuring out the structure of a protein in three-dimensional space can be very challenging. Proteins are the functional units of our cells, and every protein is made up of a long chain of amino acids. Amino acids come in different shapes and sizes, and they have…
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In the first decade of the 21st century, scientists found ways to make one adult cell type turn into a completely different cell type. This has huge implications for the medical field, including being able to take some cells that a person could spare, such as skin cells or blood cells, and turn them into another cell type that might be much more important for that person to have, such as cells to make a new kidney. How are scientists able to accomplish this amazing feat of "reprogramming" the…
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